Residents and some board members press for audits and spending cuts amid budget debate

During two public‑comment periods and board discussion, residents and board members criticized prior spending decisions, pressed for outside review of district finances and asked the board to identify programs to cut before approving a tax increase.

One resident asked, "What did you do with our last tax increase?" and alleged a prior $5.1 million surplus that, in his view, had been spent on noninstructional items. He said the district has a spending problem rather than a revenue problem and urged the board to be transparent on hires and purchases. Multiple board members asked whether a performance audit or external review had been completed; a speaker said an attempt to attach such a review to last year’s budget failed and urged the board to pursue a performance audit to identify specific savings.

Other commenters and some board members pushed back, saying the district needs contingency funds because tax receipts come in at different times, state funding can be delayed and special‑education costs are rising. "We can't run a bare bones operation because there has to be some revenue there to pull from when those tax bills aren't coming due," one board member said, emphasizing the practical need for reserves.

The exchange posed a clear editorial choice for the board: pursue outside review and targeted cuts, or set a conservative tax ceiling now to preserve a cushion while preparing more transparency for final action. Several speakers asked the administration for a clearer multi‑year capital plan and for line‑by‑line justifications of reserves that the public has previously seen referenced in board materials.